Women's Bowling | 2/23/2025 8:53:00 PM
DOVER, Del. – No one on the North Carolina A&T bowling roster knows what it feels like not to win a Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) regular-season championship.
The Aggies, the sixth-ranked team in the National Tenpin Coaches Association (NTCA) poll, clinched their fifth straight regular-season title on Sunday at MEAC Meet #2 hosted by Delaware State at the Doverama bowling alley. The Aggies went 2-1 on Sunday and 5-2 for the weekend to clinch the title with a 12-2 conference mark.
"We are going to enjoy this and celebrate all the way back to Greensboro, but there is more to do," said A&T head bowling coach Kim Terrell-Kearney.
The events at MEAC Meet #2 over the weekend set the stage for an interesting 2025 MEAC Bowling Championship Tournament in Raleigh, NC, March 21-23. The defending MEAC tournament champion and the 18th-ranked team in the nation, the University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES), finished just a game behind the Aggies with an 11-3 mark.
Morgan State, who beat the Aggies on Saturday, finished with a 10-4 mark. And even though Delaware State finished 7-7 in the league, the Hornets are the 21st-ranked team in the nation. Meanwhile, the Aggies will try to return to their position as perennial MEAC champions after UMES ended A&T's hopes of winning four straight MEAC tournaments last season.
On Sunday, the Aggies took a step closer toward their fifth straight regular-season crown by beating Howard 1,044-903l, led by a 244 total pinfall from senior and preseason MEAC bowler of the year Maya Avilez. Avilez received some help from freshmen Victorya White and Jasmine Hall.
White posted a 224 total pinfall and Hall knocked down 207 pins.
The Aggies clinched the title with a well-earned 985-945 win over UAB. Again, the Aggies showcased that they were not ready to give up their conference dominance as two freshmen led the way. White and Tiana Cruz both bowled 213s.
Unfortunately, the Aggies could not complete the sweep. Longtime nemesis UMES defeated the Aggies 1,048-1,022. The two programs, who have combined to win 19 of the 24 conference tournaments in MEAC bowling history, delivered another classic matchup.
Once again, Avilez and White had strong showings. Avilez posted a 233 total pinfall, followed by White's 222. Cruz contributed a 204 pinfall, but the Aggies could not hold off the Hawks. Despite not having the big finish to put an exclamation point on their accomplishment, the Aggies are the champs.
Again. In fact, Sunday's championship marks the fifth for fifth-year seniors Laura Garcia and Melanie Katen.
"I believe we are getting better each and every event we bowl," said Terrell-Kearney. "With the Stallings Invitational right around the corner, we have to be ready to beat some of the best teams in the country."
A&T will host the annual Vernell Stallings Invitational in Greensboro, NC's AMF All-Star Lanes on Holden Road, Feb. 28-March 2.
